Click on the photo to see the team under instruction from Chris Hodges

The completed stretch of wall blends in well with the existing wall.

Click on the photo to see the backside view!

The gap in the wall which we were about to rebuild can be seen.

Click on the photo and you can see the lines of stones removed from the wall.

Staunton Meend - Dry Stone Walling

Grid Ref SO543123

Chris Hodges gave the team a good and comprehensive introduction to dry stone walling. Chris is an experienced dry stone waller with the Advanced Certificate from the Dry Stone Walling Association. He started out by explaining the process for dismantling the wall. The stones are not just thrown in a heap but are put into three lines according to size so that they can be picked as required at a later time. The piles of 'hearting' which are the small stones used to fill the middle of the wall are left to the side.

Then he showed us how to lay the stones and to try and keep a level height which included occasionally chipping away any protruding points of stone. The stones are laid lengthwise facing into the middle which gives the wall more strength than laying them with the length sideways. As each stone was laid 'hearting' was used behind and beneath them to fill in the middle of the wall.

The result was a very neat and strong wall. Dry stone walls along the Wye do not have coping stones pointing upwards as many dry stone walls do and the natural local stones are quite large.